Impacted (Conflicted Encounters #2)

by Alyne Roberts

  "Shouldn't the bride be here for this?" Logan grunted.

  "She had to work," I answered, knowing his issue was with her marriage, not the preparation for the wedding.

  "How do we do these flowers?" Ryder asked, taking out an artificial orchid and examining it like it was a foreign object.

  "I have no idea, really," I admitted. "I will need to look it up."

  "You know, Crystal works for a florist. She could help," Caleb offered. I felt Ryder stiffen next to me. I remembered her from the river and the bonfires.

  "You fooled around with her?" I asked Ryder.

  His eyes went wide. "She's fooled around with everyone. I'm not interested." His eyes bored into mine.

  I swallowed a lump in my throat. I was jealous; I wasn't going to hide that. I just didn't know if I had a right to be. Never having a "casual" relationship, I didn't know what the rules were. In my heart, I knew it hurt to think about another girl flirting with him or being with him.

  Ryder may not be ready to say he loves me, but he has to know he means something more to me. He should know that I will get jealous wouldn’t really want to ask one of his exes for help. He was looking at me like I shouldn't worry, like I should know he only wanted me. I wanted to believe him, but I wanted a good enough reason to.

  During my internal debate, Caleb had already started texting. "She'll be here in a few," he told us, smiling proudly. I didn't want to seem unappreciative, so I smiled. I could do this.

  I gathered all the fake flowers and supplies needed. Scarlett and I googled how to make your own floral arrangements, so we had a list of supplies to go off of. I dug out the ribbon, tape, and the photos we used as inspiration. A knock sounded at the door when I was done, and Ryder walked over to let her in.

  "Hey, guys," she sang out, plopping a bag of stuff on the floor. "Hi, I'm Crystal. I think we met," she said, sticking her hand out to me.

  I stood and shook her hand. "We have. Kallie." I smiled as nicely as I could.

  I summed her up as she did the same with me. It was like some animalistic dance, fighting over the meal. I took in her fake tan, blonde hair, and skimpy shorts. We had a tanning salon at my apartment in the city, but I never used it. My skin was pale compared to hers, and I had much less showing than she did. She was obviously asking for attention, and I didn't like her doing it here.

  A weird sense of jealousy and possessiveness washed over me as she glanced around all our supplies. I clenched my hands at my sides to refrain from telling her to leave. I hated to admit it, but I needed her help. This was for Scarlett, not me. I felt Ryder tug on my hand and pull me down to the couch next to me.

  I huffed a little as I plopped next to him, and he kept his fingers on my wrist. Crystal glanced at his hand and a small smile formed on her lips. I couldn't tell if he was trying to restrain me or show our "relationship".

  "These are really beautiful. Perfect for a tropical wedding," Crystal nodded as she divided up the flowers.

  "Thanks," I smiled. I spent a lot of time looking at pictures online to find out what type of flowers we would need. I spent extra money on better quality silk flowers so they would look more realistic. Sometimes, I started to panic, thinking that everyone would know we did so much on our own and think it looked tacky.

  Crystal made quick work of dividing up the flowers and arranging them. She quickly wrapped the stems together in floral tape then handed off to me to wrap in ribbon. Caleb and Ryder were assigned wrapping up the smaller boutonnieres, and Logan fastened the pins to them. The two bouquets looked gorgeous when we were finished. I would have never been able to make them look so professional on my own.

  We had enough flowers left, so Crystal made a corsage for Scarlett's mom, a toss away bouquet, and some other arrangements to decorate the ceremony site. She talked about some of the outrageous requests from past clients and some romantic apologies she’d put on cards. I hate to admit it, but she wasn't as bad as I thought she would be. She was actually pretty funny and didn't make a move on any of the guys once. I really needed to stop judging people so quickly.

  "Thank you so much," I told her when we started packing up. "You are a life-saver."

  "No problem. I'm glad I could help." She waved goodbye and I vowed to somehow make it up to her.

  I looked around the living room, which was littered with energy drink cans, ribbons, pedals, and glitter. I was just about done with the planning, and I felt a weight lifting off my chest. All I had left was making sure we all got to the airport with everything we needed. I walked over to Ryder and wrapped my arms tightly around his neck.

  "Thank you," I said in his ear.

  "Anytime, baby."

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Ryder

  The next week flew by in a flurry. Kallie was distracted and stressed whenever I saw her. She spent the days running around, getting together everything we would need for the wedding. She shipped almost everything down ahead of time. We were unable to dig up any more dirt on Adam. His stories continued to sound like lies, but we had nothing to prove to my sister he wasn't the right guy for her.

  Every time Adam was around, I watched Kallie's eyes burn into him. Her body would tense and her hands would shake. I watched her struggle to keep her opinions to herself. I knew she wanted Scarlett happy, and so did I, but we knew that telling her anything would never matter. One night, over dinner, Logan made a comment about her "settling", and Scarlett slapped him across the face before throwing him out of the apartment.

  Logan was moody all week. He refused to go out with us and barely answered my texts. He always got pissy when he was fighting with Scarlett. I just hoped he got over it before we left. I didn't want to be there without him. I would need someone to have my back.

  I stepped out of my shower and threw my body wash into the open duffle bag on my bed. I would be driving with Kallie back to Cleveland tonight. Tomorrow morning, I would meet her parents, and then we had to attend some fancy event together. My stomach was in knots as I paced the room, looking for the outfit I planned to wear for the next day.

  I really wanted to back out of the whole thing. I agreed at a moment of weakness, when her blue eyes were begging and soft. I barely touched her all week, besides innocent touches here and there. I felt like I was "meeting the parents", or making a bigger commitment than I wanted to. We were together, but not really. I knew I didn't want to see her with anyone else, and I knew I could touch her and have her anyway I wanted, but it wasn't the same as before she left.

  I didn't know what would happen when the wedding was over. Would she go home? My chest got tight when I pictured her driving away from me. I wanted to lock her away in my bedroom and keep her all to myself. I just needed to know for sure she would be happy with that. I needed to know she wouldn't turn away from me like she did before.

  I couldn't go through the ignored texts and calls again. I refused to ask for her to come visit, only to hear an excuse as to why she couldn't. Never again did I want to stay up and worry about what she was doing without me. I wanted it all or nothing when it came to her.

  "You almost ready?" Kallie asked from my doorway. She was wearing her long hair over one shoulder and a pair of shorts with a black tee-shirt. She looked sexy, even though she thought she was dressed down for a road trip.

  "Yeah," I said as I slung my bag over my shoulder.

  "Can we take the Comet?" she asked quietly.

  "Really? You don't want to take yours?" I would assume her parents would expect her to pull up in the BMW they bought her.

  "I like the Comet better. Unless you don't want to."

  "I do," I nodded. I grabbed her hand and led her down to the car.

  "Can we stop at Marie's on the way out?" she asked when we sat in the car.

  "Sure, why?"

  "I have to drop this off," she answered, lifting a box off her lap. "She's going to sell this stuff for me on consignment."

  I looked in the box, and at first I only saw a bunch of random car parts
and other garbage. Reaching in, I pulled out a chain with a set of small gears fastened to the end. "You made all this?" There had to be thirty different pieces of jewelry made of recycled parts and objects you can find lying around any auto shop.

  "Yeah," she shrugged. "I get bored when you guys all go to work. I'm not used to not being busy."

  I smiled and started up the loud engine. I parked on the street while Kallie ran into the antique store. She quickly hopped back in and we started the trip back to her apartment in the city. About half way there, the sky clouded over and rain poured down on us. The raindrops pelted the soft roof, drowning out the music and any chance of conversation.

  Kallie rolled down her window enough to stick her hand out into the rain. The smell of the wet air filled the car, and she smiled as the rain smacked against her palms. My mind flashed with memories of kissing her while she was wet and standing out in the middle of the road. I could almost taste the wetness on her lips and the way her hair smelled as it dried in my bedroom.

  I was relieved when we finally off the highway after five hours and drove through the crowed streets of the city. My mind was starting to get carried away and my whole body was buzzing. I pulled into the parking garbage and Kallie gave me the card to swipe to open the gates. Once parked, she opened her car door and stretched. A sliver of skin showed above her shorts and my eyes traveled down her smooth legs. I swallowed the lump in my throat and grabbed our bags from the trunk.

  "Hungry?" she asked when we made it in to her apartment.

  "Starved," I nodded.

  "I'm dying for some wings and beer," she sighed. "You okay with that?"

  "Of course." I walked around her apartment while she made a call. "Where do you want me to sleep?" I asked once she hung up.

  "My bed." I raised an eyebrow at her. "Don't be ridiculous. We were never good at resisting each other, and I thought we agreed to stop trying. You slept with me last time we were here."

  I nodded. She was right. I expected her to be different when we got here. Like once she passed the county line, she would revert back to a different girl. She looked the same to me, bright eyes, plump lips, craving wings and beer. I felt myself breaking down for her, letting her in little by little.

  Soon, the door buzzed and a man dropped off some takeout boxes of wings and a case of beer. Kallie hopped around the kitchen, grabbing plates and napkins. We stood at the kitchen counter to eat, since on her last visit she smashed the coffee table and TV. The place was empty and quiet. Her hotel room down south felt more like home than this place did. She kept yawning as the sun started to set in the windows behind us.

  "Why don't you shower and I'll clean up," I offered when we killed off a couple dozen wings. She nodded and padded down the hallway. She looked exhausted and I knew the last few weeks had been rough on her. She was working so hard for the wedding and making her own jewelry on the side. I wondered how she had time for it all.

  I cleaned up the kitchen and brought our bags to the bedroom. The water shut off and Kallie came out wrapped in a towel. Her shoulders glistened with water droplets and her hair was wet and tangled.

  "Your turn," she yawned. I doubted she would still be awake when I came out.

  I was right. Kallie was out cold in the bed when I finished with my shower. Her wet hair was sprawled on the pillow and her shoulders peeked out from under the comforter. I chuckled as I dried off and crawled in next to her. Her towel was still loosely wrapped around her. She must have gone straight to the bed as soon as I closed the door.

  I pulled her body into mine and inhaled her scent. I loved the smell of her wet hair and fell asleep wrapped in her and the memories of kissing her in rain. This made for a restless sleep and I woke up several times with my hands roaming. Kallie twisted and turned, leaving her towel unwrapped from her naked body.

  I watched her sleeping, the rising and falling of her chest, and listened to her soft breathing. My hand was on her stomach, and I felt her steady heartbeat in my palm. I smoothed my hand up and down her stomach, loving the feel of her softness on my calloused skin. I inched my hand lowered as I watched her. She let out a small moan, but didn't wake.

  My hand moved without my direction. It slid down her stomach and over her hips. I trailed my fingers on the inside her thigh and her legs twitched in response. Another low moan came from her as her legs opened automatically for me. No longer caring if I woke her up, I slide on finger further down and felt the wetness.

  She gasped, and I was momentarily distracted by the quick rising and falling of her breasts. I slipped my finger deeper before sliding back up again. When I began to use two fingers, her hips bucked against my hand. I continued my slow movements and watched her reaction. Her mouth was slightly open and her breathing was fast. I reached my tongue out and flicked her hard nipple.

  She moaned out my name and I pressed my hardness into her hip. Watching her reaction to me had me throbbing. I slipped both fingers back inside and her back arched off the bed, pushing her nipple harder into my mouth. I worked my fingers inside of her, pushing in and pulling out at a slow speed while sucking and licking at her. Her hand wrapped around my hard dick and I grunted into her neck. She stroked me while I thumbed her clit and fucked her with my fingers.

  My name was pouring of her lips as she clenched and spasmed around me. She let out a long moan and her hand moved faster, bringing me close to the breaking point. Once I pulled every once of pleasure I could from her, she quickly sat up and turned to face me. Her lips wrapped around my swollen head and the sudden warmth made me explode into her mouth instantly.

  She collapsed back into the mattress and panted with me. I wrapped my arms around her naked and satisfied body and pulled her against my chest. She nuzzled back into me and I placed a soft kiss on the back of her head. I fell into a deep sleep, finally relieved and comfortable.

  "Hey, wake up," Kallie said, nudging my shoulder.

  I grunted and rolled onto my stomach. "Too early."

  She laughed. "I know, but we have to go soon. If we had more time, I would give you a better wake up call."

  I grunted again and tossed myself out of the high bed. I stumbled around to her side of the bed and pressed a quick kiss to her lips. I missed waking up to her. Waking up with a woman was always a no-go for me. It meant commitment and snuggling. Waking up to Kallie wasn't scary and a broken rule for me. Oddly, I wanted it. Hell, I even craved it.

  She gave me a soft smile before she disappeared into the bathroom, and I went about finding my clothes. I quickly dressed and ran my fingers through my hair a few times.

  "What are you wearing?" Kallie asked from the bathroom doorway.

  I looked down at my khakis and button up shirt. "What? What's wrong with this?"

  She bit her lip and started to unbutton my shirt. "It's not you. Wear what you would normally wear."

  "But I'm meeting your parents. I didn't want to show off my tattoos and show up in jeans," I said with a raised eyebrow.

  "But that's how I like you," she said simply as she pulled the shirt down my arms. I continued to let her undress me because it was kinda hot. "Tonight you can wear a tux, but today, you aren't pretending to be someone you aren't."

  She tossed me a pair of jeans and a black shirt. "But you look adorable," I argued, taking in her white summer dress and sexy heels.

  "And you will look sexy," she laughed. "Plus, I'm dressing for you, not them. Don't pretend for them, Ry. You can't do it forever, and it only kills you inside. Believe me on this." She smiled and left me in the bedroom wearing nothing but my boxers.

  I sighed and put on the clothes she gave me. After I dressed and brushed my teeth, I met Kallie in the kitchen. We had enough time for a quick cup of coffee before we had rush out the door. She gave me directions out of downtown and we drove another half an hour until we pulled down a long driveway. The yard was perfectly manicured and a dark green. A large house came into view, and I pulled up front.

  "Wow," I said as I shut off the
engine. The place was bigger than our high school. I knew she was wealthy and spoiled, which is why I called her Princess, but seeing her home was a reminder. What the hell was she doing with me?

  "Ready?" she asked me, twirling her bracelet.

  "Yep. Don't be nervous," I whispered and squeezed her hand.

  She nodded and we walked up the stone steps to a tall set of double doors. They swung open before Kallie's hand touched the knob. The woman in the doorway was obviously related. She was just as short, had short blonde hair, and the same piercing blue eyes. She wrapped her arms around Kallie and squeezed her tight.

  "I didn't know you had an older sister," I whispered in her ear once she backed away.

  Kallie gave me wide-eyes and laughed.

  "Oh! Bless you," the woman sang out. "I'm her mother, but I'll take the compliment." Her smile was wide, but her face was still.

  "Oh, I'm Ryder. Nice to meet you, Mrs. Adams," I said politely and offered her my hand.

  "Please, call me Nichole. Come on in." She waved us in, and we followed her into an open foyer.

  A large chandelier hung above us and marble tables flanked the entry way. Kallie held my hand as we walked down the hall to the kitchen. The kitchen was large with stainless steel appliances and a huge island in the center. The kitchen opened up to a dining room with an elegant glass table. Sliding glass doors lead out to patio and a pool.

  "Your father should be in soon," Nichole called over her shoulder. "It's so nice out that I thought we could eat out back?"

  "Sure, Mom." Kallie nodded and led me out to the outdoor table setup with fruits, pastry, and breads.

  "I stuck with something simple and light, since we have that thingy tonight," she told us, almost looking apprehensive.

  "It's great, Mom. Are you nervous?" Kallie asked.

  "Kallie," a deep voice boomed behind me. Kallie dropped my hand and ran to the older man, giving him a hug.

  "Hey, Daddy," she cooed, giving him a kiss on the cheek. The man melted under her eyes, and I could see how she had him wrapped around her finger as well. "Dad, meet Ryder Brooks."